LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 16:8 August 2016
ISSN 1930-2940

Managing Editor: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.
Editors: B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. A. Sharada, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         Lakhan Gusain, Ph.D.
         Jennifer Marie Bayer, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         L. Ramamoorthy, Ph.D.
         C. Subburaman, Ph.D. (Economics)
         N. Nadaraja Pillai, Ph.D.
         Renuga Devi, Ph.D.
         Soibam Rebika Devi, M.Sc., Ph.D.
Assistant Managing Editor: Swarna Thirumalai, M.A.

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Teaching Conversational Language and the Challenges
Some Crucial Areas

M. SaravanapavaIyer, Ph.D.

Abstract

Teaching and learning process of English as a Second Language (ESL) conversation for the non-native learners particularly in classrooms is one of the toughest tasks for the teachers. Especially in our Sri Lankan context, learners play passive role at school level programmes for more or less twelve years; due to this long experience, they are unable to become active role players during ESL learning; transforming an adult learner into active role player is important in ESL classrooms to master all the four skills and it is really a great challenge to the teachers. Amongst four language skills, conversational skill is unlikelearning grammar rules or learning vocabulary where a learner can learn by reading a good grammar rule book; learning and practising authentic conversational skill is still cumbersome and tough and most of the time unpleasant mission in ESL classrooms; the real time conversational situation cannot be brought into the classroom; in front of the speaker there is other person who waits for the correct and meaningful response; the speaker has no time to think or check with the dictionary for his response; the speaker is expected to respond immediately and instantaneously; these problems can be solved with adequate practice and confidence building. In order to provide part of the solution I have attempted to presentsome important observations relevant to conversational language teaching and learning. The chief aim of this article is to establish better awareness among spoken language teachers and learners.

Keywords: ESL, language mannerism, formal/informal meaning, authentic situation, language etiquettes

1. Introduction

Generally, written language is ruled governed and most of the scholars declare that spoken language is not ruled governed; however, in case of a spoken language, there are lot of unwritten rules speakers have to consider to maintain socio-cultural tradition/norms of the particular speech community; recognizing and teaching these unwritten rules with authentic spoken situations are very essential elements to teach conversations; these unwritten rules are sometimes called social ethics or language mannerism. Associating and presenting social ethics with a particular language require great effort and conscious practice; these appropriate social ethics can be generally classified into social and official norms. Since most of the official and social norms are captured and picked up naturally by the speakers in the authentic spoken situations within the particular speech community, teaching spoken language in English as a Second Language (ESL) classrooms requires effective pre-planning and conscious practices. On the other hand, creating original and authentic situations in ESL classrooms to teach appropriate spoken style is also impossible to the teachers; in the meantime, learners have less opportunity to pick up the appropriate spoken form by observation and participation naturally and learners have less or no chance to rehearse the spoken form outside the classrooms. In order to observe and recognize the interior aspects of the spoken form of a language I’m planning to briefly discuss formal and informal language styles, different spoken language etiquettes, conventional and non-conventional meanings, learners’ issues, teachers’ roles and external factors.

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.


M. SaravanapavaIyer, Ph.D.
Senior Lecturer in ELT, Grade I
English Language Teaching Centre (ELTC)
Faculty of Arts
University of Jaffna
Jaffna
Sri Lanka
bavaneltc@yahoo.com
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